Discover 7 practical ways to elevate your lead follow-up process and find the success you deserve.
“Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.” When John C. Maxwell wrote about the lead follow-up process, he was well aware of how easily a little extra effort can turn prospects into valuable customers.
However, optimizing this process can take time if you’re trying to piece it together haphazardly. But with a handful of techniques in your pocket, you can nail your process quickly, and start converting quality prospects.
The 7-step plan for improving your lead follow-up process
1. Classify your leads.
The first step in a successful lead follow-up process is classifying your leads. There are three core lead types: cold, warm, and hot.
- Cold leads: These are potential clients, but they aren’t yet aware of the products or services you offer.
- Warm leads: These potential clients have shown interest in your products and services; however, they may or may not be qualified customers.
- Hot leads: These potential clients know you can help them address their needs. They are qualified prospects who need your help in completing a transaction.
Each type of lead requires different marketing strategies to close the sale. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to converting leads into customers.
2. Make every follow-up count.
As a salesperson, you shouldn’t scare potential clients away with aggressive sales pitches. These strategies don’t work anymore. Instead, provide prospects with value at every touchpoint.
The value you provide doesn’t have to be financial, like an exclusive discount. You can provide value by answering questions, providing new information, or addressing their pain points. This keeps your leads looking forward to every interaction with you.
3. Offer multiple channels for follow-up.
Modern consumers prefer 24/7 connections to brands and their representatives. For this reason, it’s essential to provide them with various platforms to reach out to you.
Encourage them to communicate with you anytime through social media pages, emails, online messengers, text messages, or phone calls. If you can’t return their messages immediately, set up automated responses and get in touch with them as soon as you can.
4. Schedule future conversations.
Once you have the tools to offer multiple follow-up channels, use them to schedule future conversations. This strengthens your relationships with prospects and speeds up the conversion process. It’s also a better alternative to calling them at an inconvenient time.
5. Ask for the sale.
When the time is right, don’t hesitate to ask for the sale. Once you’ve built rapport, explained your products, and showcased your unique selling proposition (USP), asking for the sale is the ideal next step.
After the legwork and all the necessary follow-ups, go ahead and pop the question. It should be the natural culmination of your hard work. Otherwise, you might lose the chance to close deals with quality prospects.
6. Know when to stop.
You won’t convert a prospect on the first call. You may not even talk to them until you call a few times. Don’t give up too soon. At the same time, don’t continue calling without a plan. If they aren’t returning your calls, you may need to set that lead to the side and focus on more productive possibilities. Keep them on your email list, and try one final time-bound message before you stop calling people. If your lead is ready to buy, this should be powerful enough to spur them into action.
7. Keep enhancing your lead follow-up process.
Passion is one of the top qualities of standout agents. Being a passionate salesperson means loving your job and continuously striving to be the best at what you do.
If you want to stay on top of your game, it’s essential to keep measuring and enhancing your lead follow-up process. Take note of how many leads you receive weekly, how long your response time is, and what percentage of you convert.
Afterward, address improvement opportunities and apply the necessary changes.
If you haven’t mastered the art of following up just yet, you can purchase prospects from a reliable insurance lead provider like HBW Leads. HBW Leads provides agents with exclusive, double-verified hot leads that are just waiting for guidance.
Finally, you can stop spending your time with prospects who aren’t interested. Instead, close deals with qualified customers. Request a personalized package now to start growing your book!